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Cold Comfort
| number = 3 | image = File:Cold Comfort.jpg | imagewidth = 250 | airdate = October 12, 1997 | director = Dan Riba | writer = Hilary J. Bader | story = | teleplay = | music = Shirley Walker | previous1 = Sins of the Father | next1 = Never Fear | previous2 = Sins of the Father | next2 = Double Talk }} :"Search your hearts for the thing you value most, then despair, for I have come to take it from you." :: - Mister Freeze Cold Comfort is the third episode of The New Batman Adventures. It is notable for introducing Mister Freeze to the new series and continuing the story that ended in the movie Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero. However, this episode features a stark contrast with Mister Freeze's portrayal from Batman: The Animated Series, as this new version has turned evil for the sake of it. "Cold Comfort" is the third produced and aired episode of "TNBA". Plot Mister Freeze has returned to Gotham City and the first crime he commits is the destruction of a rare dinosaur skeleton, the Ultrasaurus, which is the culmination of thirty years of hard work of scientists and archaeologists. The news about Freeze's return spread fast and it's the main topic of conversation at the celebration of Gotham's Tricentennial between Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne, who are guests in the event. The time comes for Mayor Hill to unveil a painting in honor of Gotham by a renowned, yet elder artist. Bruce notices a woman dressed in a parka leaving the ballroom and correctly deduces the presence of the criminal in the building. Bruce leaves the ceremony and requests that Alfred prepares his Batsuit. In the time that takes Bruce to change his outfit, Mr. Freeze shows up in the ceremony and destroys the painting of Gotham, as it was the artist's most valued treasure. Freeze then explains he is currently on a quest to destroy everything which people find valuable. Afterwards, Batman confronts Freeze, but fails to stop him, as Freeze uses his ice gun to escape. Later in the Batcave, Batman, Batgirl and Robin try to make sense of Freeze's crimes, but they can't understand the reason behind them. All they know is that after Nora Fries was cured from her illness, Victor never visited her and a few years later, she married her doctor and left Gotham. At that moment in Freeze's hideout, a group of doctors experiment on Freeze, but whatever they were attempting to achieve has, once again, failed. The three doctors had been taken against their will to help Freeze and because of their failure, they are forbidden to leave. Freeze's quest for revenge is far from over and his next target is someone who, in his eyes, is safe from any danger: Bruce Wayne. In the Batcave, Batgirl performs a training session and manages to surpass her previous record, but she still fails to make it a flawless performance. Bruce, who is supervising the training tells her that she needs to train further and programs the sequence to continue on a harder difficulty while he goes to Wayne Manor to speak to Tim about his academic performance. Tim is having troubles with his civic lessions and Bruce realizes that it is mostly due to his own example as a vigilante. At that moment, Alfred opens the door after someone had knocked, only to come face-to-face with Freeze's henchwomen and their leader. Alfred is taken to the living room, where Freeze confronts Bruce and threatens to take that which is most valuable to him: his family. Bruce tries to reason with the madman, but his efforts are futile. When nobody watches him, Bruce activates the Batcave alarm, sending Batgirl a message that she is needed in the manor. Freeze decides to kill Alfred, but after freezing him slightly, Batgirl arrives and confronts the criminals. Although Batgirl manages to hold Freeze's henchwomen, she is unable to stop their leader. However, as Freeze drives away from Wayne Manor, Batgirl manages to place a tracing device on the getaway vehicle. Batman takes Alfred to the Batcave, where he prepares a hot-bath with special chemicals and water as to keep Alfred warm and safe during the thawing process. Meanwhile, Batgirl tracks down Freeze's location using the tracing device she placed in the criminal's car. Once she has located the place, Batman takes her with him, leaving Alfred under Tim's reluctant care. Batman and Batgirl arrive to Freeze's hideout, which is underneath an abandoned warehouse. The two of them investigate and find what seems to be an spare Cryo-Suit near the room where the three doctors are being held, all tied up. Batman releases them, but when they try to explain their situation, they are busted by Freeze's henchwomen. The Ice Maidens take their prisoners back to the main room, where they await for their leader to return. As Mister Freeze approaches, Batgirl and Batman are horrified at the sight of the man: Freeze's head is the only remaining part of his body, protected by the glass helmet, which is now attached to four robotic limbs, articulated as to resemble and move as that of a spider. The heroes then realize that what they thought was a cryo-suit is in fact Freeze's new body, which functions by allowing the spider-like limbs to connect inside the armor suit, giving Freeze full mobility. When Batman asks what happened to him, Freeze explains that his condition deteriorated his body to the point where it endangered his life. Freeze proceeded to remove his head from his decaying body and thanks to the kidnapped doctors and his own genius, he found a way to remain alive. However, in this condition, he could never return to Nora, his beloved wife. His ultimate loss caused him to become bitter at the world and all he wants now is for everyone to experience what he did. Since Batman has now learned the truth, Freeze decides he should be his next victim. His plan is to keep Batman, helpless in his hideout, while he goes to Gotham, carrying a reverse fusion bomb in order to freeze the entire city. Freeze decides that Batman's despair will be his reward, but before leaving, he releases the kidnapped doctors. Freeze sets his plan in motion and takes an airship towards Gotham. Batgirl takes advantage of a slight distraction and attacks the ice maidens, allowing Batman to go after Freeze. Using a Batrope, Batman grabs Freeze's vehicle and climbs until he gets inside the airship. Batman and Freeze fight, but the Dark Knight is overwhelmed by Freeze's strength. Unable to defeat Freeze in hand-to-hand combat, Batman steers the ship away from Gotham, towards the sea. He then uses the batrope to attach Freeze to the reverse fusion bomb, before it is dropped to the waters below, where it explodes, creating a massive pyramidal iceberg. Batgirl contacts Batman via radio, and he informs her that this is the last they have seen of Mister Freeze. However, Batman's certainty is exaggerated, for even though the cryo-suit is completely trapped inside the iceberg, Freeze's head is nowhere to be found. Cast Notes & Trivia * The reverse fusion bomb plot and scenes are used in the videogame Batman: Gotham City Racer. * The episode has been released as part of the following Home video sets: :* Batman: The Animated Series, Volume Four :* Batman: The Complete Animated Series :* Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (Blu-ray) Gallery CC 01 - Freeze.jpg CC 02 - Freeze.jpg CC 03 - Freeze.jpg CC 04 - Freeze.jpg CC 05 - BatFamily.jpg CC 06 - Heart of Ice.jpg CC 07 - Bruce.jpg CC 08 - Batgirl.jpg CC 09 - Shadow.jpg CC 10 - Of the Bat.jpg CC 11 - Batgirl.jpg CC 12 - Freeze.jpg CC 13 - Batcave.jpg CC 14 - Alfred.jpg CC 15 - Batman and Batgirl.jpg CC 16 - Freeze.jpg CC 17 - Mister Freeze.jpg CC 18 - Victor Fries.jpg CC 19 - Freeze.jpg CC 20 - Freeze.jpg CC 21 - Boo.jpg CC 22 - Batman.jpg CC 23 - CryoSuit.jpg Category:Episodes Category:Directed by Dan Riba Category:Soundtrack by Shirley Walker Category:Mr. Freeze Episodes